Nachmittag
/ˈnaːx.mɪˌtaːk/masculine
The German word for "afternoon" is Nachmittag.
Nachmittag is a masculine noun referring to the part of the day between noon and evening.
Meaning: part of the day between noon and evening (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of nach, meaning "after" and Mittag, meaning "noon".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say "in the afternoons" or describe something done routinely in the afternoon, use the adverbial form nachmittags. When you are expressing duration, such as "the whole afternoon", use the accusative form den Nachmittag.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. It is pronounced /ˈnaːx.mɪˌtaːk/.
Did you know?
- In Germany, the traditional 'afternoon coffee and cake' ritual, known as Kaffee und Kuchen, typically takes place during the Nachmittag.
- In some German dialects, such as Alemannic, you might hear the word Nomitag instead of the standard Nachmittag.
- The word Mittag (noon) is also the root for Mittagessen, which literally means 'midday eating' and is the standard word for lunch.
Examples in context
- Wie war Ihr Nachmittag?How was your afternoon?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's afternoon using the form Nachmittag.Tatoeba #989715 by Esperantostern, translation #953355 by CK
- Was machst du nachmittags?What do you do in the afternoon?This sentence uses the form Nachmittag to ask about routine afternoon activities.Tatoeba #1131445 by Esperantostern, translation #464538 by lukaszpp
- Er kommt heute Nachmittag.He will come this afternoon.This sentence uses the form Nachmittag to indicate when someone is arriving.Tatoeba #1561884 by Zaghawa, translation #296197 by CK
- Guten Nachmittag, Herr Müller. Wie geht es Ihnen heute?Good afternoon, Mr. Müller. How are you today?
- 729 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are meeting for coffee.
- HannahHast du heute Nachmittag Zeit?Do you have time this afternoon?
- JulianJa, der Nachmittag ist noch frei.Yes, the afternoon is still free.
- HannahWollen wir einen Kaffee trinken?Shall we drink a coffee?
- JulianDas ist eine gute Idee.That is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “afternoon” translations and entries Nachmittag, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nachmittag, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
